Posts Written OnOctober 27, 2009

Drinking (and Collecting) Local in Long Island Wine Country

Part of the evolution of Wolffer Estate Vineyards' wine labels By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief I don't remember when I first heard about long-time reader Jay Schneider's "Long Island wine shelf" but this post is long overdue. Stories like this should be told.  I know that he mentioned it early in our email exchanges, but originally I didn't think much of it. A lot of people collect wine labels. I guess you could say that I even do so — though digitally. So I didn't give it much though until I met him in person at an event I was co-hosting…

Martha Clara Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief High residual sugar and pineapple-flavored wines aside, Martha Clara Vineyards, one of the largest on the North Fork, seems to be on the rise from a quality standpoint. They have winemaker Juan Martinez-Micieli, formerly of Shinn Estate Vineyards and Pellegrini Vineyards, to thank for that. He's working to steer this large ship in a better direction. His Martha Clara Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer ($19) is one of, if not the best the estate has produced and the key to this wine's success is balance.  The nose offers classic lychee aromas with candied orange peel, lime zest and…

2009 Harvest Update: Handling High Acids at McGregor Vineyard

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo courtesy McGregor Vineyard Before harvest has even ended, McGregor Vineyard owner John McGregor has a sense for what the 2009 vintage will offer.  "There are some people who really love these kinds of years," he says. "They love racy wines. They love acid. Well, we're going to have that." The challenge will be making sure the wines don't show so much acid that they're off balance. "I would guess that we're dealing with the same issues other people are dealing with in the Finger Lakes right now," McGregor explains. "You can only do…